I think the most entertaining negotiation I've had was an investor looking for a regular sale of one of their rental properties and I ended up doing a round table negotiation with them to identify terms of the sale (my partner and I did this nice presentation with charts and graphs and stuff and they liked it a lot).

We finished the basement, added a second bathroom, new AC, new water heater, garden work among other things.

Basement pipes are dripping and utility tub is filled up and I am very cautious in using water inside the property.

For improvements to raise the appraisal put on a new roof, replace old HVAC and/or water heater and fix any foundation issues.

Moreover, without a solid W-2, you're probably going to be dead in the water unless you come through with another way to satisfy traditional lending requirements.

These are the house stats: ¼ Acre LotCity Water and SewerFull Basement1500 Square FeetOpen concept living roomFinished will have 2 full baths, 3 bedroomsFinished bonus room in basement Was used as a bedroom but doesn’t have the proper egressFenced in backyardCan lighting in all bedrooms, living room, and kitchenNo garage, paved driveway fits 4 medium sized carsSquare Footage:Basement: 938 sfIst Floor: 844 sf2nd Floor: 533 sfFinalizing the Flip would require: Mounting and finishing drywall on first and second floorFinishing the partially roughed in bathroom on first floor Water supplies are ready just under the floorboardsSewer outlet is just under bathroom, PVC drains need to be roughed inElectrical wire is run from the panel to bathroom fan, lighting, and outletBathroom fan/light is installed, needs duct added to vent outsideNeeds greenboard drywall, flooring, toilet, vanity, shower/tub surround4 doors for first floor bathrooms and three bedrooms4 closet doors, 1 for first floor coat closet, and 3 for bedroom closetsFirst floor bedroom Subfloor replacement in first floor bedroom (some original floor boards are weak)Connection of electrical outlets - conduit roughed in but needs to be connected to panelDrywall mounted, finished, and painted throughoutFlooring throughout except for kitchen, I suggest tile in front entryway into first floor bathroom, laminate in open concept living room up to the kitchen, carpet the rest.Minor drywall patching and painting in Kitchen and basement bathroomTrim/baseboards installed and painted around all doors, bottom of drywall, and windowsProper railing for both stairwaysPower wash sidingMinor landscaping, just needs some mulch in beds and some minor weeding in flower beds.Two fence panels replaced in back yardBasement bathroom needs minor touch-ups on grout and caulking Other issues that may need addressing or could just be disclosed upon sale: Two minor basement leaks only when there is a TON of rain, otherwise basement is dryWarped siding in backyard where grill used to be, could be replacedSmall area of cracked siding on front of house at end of drivewayDriveway isn’t in the best condition, some patching may make it look betterAll work done on house has not been permitted except for siding and roofPlumbing Ventilation isn’t 100% to code and may come up in an inspection Side notes: When I lived there, people didn’t believe my address was real when getting deliveries because of the marijuana culture around the number 420 and the street name of Highmoor, maybe there is play here selling to someone that is into that stuff?

I still have plenty more to explore, but am I just going to be treading water if I keep looking for contractors through online sources (yelp, homeadvisor) that won't blow my budget?

However, prices are high and I don't find realtors bringing many true "deals" to the table right now in that price range. 

But here is a list of other items I came up with in my head that may or may not be possible to write off:Lawn care and similar (such as power-washing services)Home owners insuranceProperty management fees (tenant placement and monthly)PMI (don't have it but curious)Home warranty (and claim fees)Electric and water (while it was vacant)Are there any other possibilities? 

I’m currently paying 7K out of pocket on my Dallas GA property for a new roof as the gutters were not cleaned out and the roof paid the price as rain water made its way inside from the water filled gutters that were not draining properly causing damage to the wood and leaking through the upstairs bathroom.